Doctor found guilty of raping two women

Mark Russell

An Indian doctor has been found guilty of raping two women during consultations.

Manu Maimbilly Gopal, 39, was accused of digitally penetrating two women for his own sexual gratification after telling them they needed internal vaginal examinations during separate visits to a Sunbury medical clinic in February last year.

"There was no medical reason to conduct the vaginal examination at all." Photo: Angela Wylie/File photo

One of his victims, an 18-year-old student, told how she shielded her face with her arm during the examination in a "silent scream".

A Supreme Court jury found Gopal guilty on Tuesday of two counts of rape after a two-week trial.

Justice Geoffrey Nettle remanded Gopal for a pre-sentence hearing on September 26.

Gopal's first victim, the 18-year-old full-time student, had been home alone on Thursday, February 23, suffering from stomach cramps.

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Her parents were overseas so she spoke to her boyfriend who suggested she go see a doctor.

The young woman rang the Sunbury Medical Centre and took the first available appointment, which was with Gopal.

It was about 9pm when Gopal led her into a consulting room and locked the door.

She told Gopal about her stomach cramps and without asking her consent or explaining why he needed to conduct a vaginal examination, he just asked her if she wanted him to wear gloves.

Crown prosecutor Lesley Taylor, in her closing address to the jury, said the young woman frowned at Gopal in confusion before agreeing that she did want him to wear gloves.

"[The young woman] told you that she didn't understand what the internal examination would involve, where it was going to be," Ms Taylor told the jury.

She said the perfect word to describe how she felt was violated. She said she was scared and she didn't know what to do

"She didn't know that it was going to be a vaginal examination until Gopal entered his fingers into her vagina.

"There was no medical reason to conduct the vaginal examination at all."

The examination took up to four minutes and Gopal did not take notes.

After the examination, the young woman said she "crumbled" and her boyfriend had to hold her up as she cried uncontrollably.

"She said the perfect word to describe how she felt was violated," Ms Taylor said. "She said she was scared and she didn't know what to do."

Gopal's second victim, a married mother of four, went to the clinic at about 5pm on Saturday, February 25, complaining of a bad pain to her right side.

"Once in the consulting room there was discussion about her presenting symptoms and the medication she was on, particularly, Levlen, the oral contraceptive pill," Ms Taylor said.

Gopal asked her if there were any problems with having sex and she replied no, she was just too tired with four children.

Dr Gopal then asked the woman, "Do you fall asleep?"

"She said that she thought it was a strange question and understood him to asking if she fell asleep during sex rather than before it," Ms Taylor said.

Gopal told the woman she did not have appendicitis but her symptoms could have something to do with her ovaries and he needed to do an internal examination.

The woman asked if it was really necessary but Gopal insisted.

During the examination, the woman said Gopal asked her: "Do you want me to do it softer? Do you want me to do it faster? Does it feel good now?"

The woman pushed Gopal back and he stopped.

Gopal made no notes of the vaginal examination.

The woman described how was she was a mess after the examination and that she was shocked and sweating and felt like she wanted to be sick.

Gopal, whose wife and young daughter live in India, was arrested at Melbourne International Airport on March 1 as he waited to board a flight to the Indian city of Kochi after being told police wanted to interview him about the sexual assaults. He had bought a one-way ticket.